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Coastal Bend Blood Center providing products for Michigan after school shooting

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Posted at 2:37 PM, Dec 01, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-01 15:37:52-05

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coastal Bend Blood Center is one of three blood centers being activated by the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps after a tragic school shooting in Michigan that killed four and wounded seven.

The Coastal Bend Blood Center will join Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank and Oklahoma Blood Institute, where they will provide extra blood products on a rotating schedule to help the blood center that serves the area meet the immediate medical needs for the remaining victims.

“Situations like these are exactly why BERC was formed,” said Dr. John Armitage in a release, president and CEO of Oklahoma Blood Institute. “When the blood needs are great and immediate after tragic events like this, we can act swiftly and decisively to ensure patients have access to the blood products they need.”

As the United States continues to experience a nationwide blood shortage, BERC provides a safety net for communities nationwide.

BERC launched in September 2021, and is comprised of 21 blood centers serving more than 30 states.